t3acha تعشى
Tunisian Derja · verb
“t3acha” (تعشى) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to have dinner, eat the evening meal.
Meanings
- to have dinner, eat the evening meal
- to eat something for dinner
Usage
T3acha means "to eat the evening meal", the 3cha. It is conjugated regularly: t3achit (I had dinner), net3acha (I have dinner), t3achaw (they had dinner). The question "t3achit?" is a common caring formula within the family. One says t3acha b + food to specify what one ate: "t3achit b ma9rouna". To invite someone to dinner, one rather uses 3achchet ("3achchitou"). Note: during Ramadan, the meal that breaks the fast is called ftour, not 3cha.
Example
تعشيت ولا مازلت؟
t3achit wela mazelt?
“Did you have dinner, or not yet?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “t3acha” but also “ta3cha”, “t3asha”, “t3achit”, “t3achaa” and “t3ashe”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find تعشى and تعشا, all the same word.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.